True North teams with Imada Wong

January 31, 2000
by AIMEE GROVE

CHICAGO: Seeking to cash in on one of the country’s fastest growing
and most affluent consumer markets, True North Communications has taken
a 49% equity stake in Asian-American specialty shop Imada Wong
Communications.

CHICAGO: Seeking to cash in on one of the country’s fastest growing
and most affluent consumer markets, True North Communications has taken
a 49% equity stake in Asian-American specialty shop Imada Wong
Communications.

CHICAGO: Seeking to cash in on one of the country’s fastest growing

and most affluent consumer markets, True North Communications has taken

a 49% equity stake in Asian-American specialty shop Imada Wong

Communications.

Previously a True North affiliate, Imada Wong will now operate as part

of True North’s New America Strategies Group (NASG). The 10-year-old,

dollars 9.5 million agency, which boasts AT&T and Merrill Lynch among

its clients, is the first in this division to focus on the Asian

market.

Imada Wong CEO Bill Imada, who talked with at least five other holding

companies before giving True North the nod, said he predicts ’a wave of

similar mergers in the multicultural field within the next year.’ He

noted that competitor Kang & Lee was scooped up by Y&R last year.

’These (ethnic and cultural) groups will be the majorities in the new

millennium, and companies can’t rely anymore just on the white consumers